Ranked #4 in Best 4K Monitors
Apple Studio Display3.5
2 sources$1,599as of Oct 16The 2026 Studio Display keeps the 27-inch 5K, 60Hz, non-HDR panel of the 2022 model and adds two Thunderbolt 5 ports, a much better 12MP Center Stage webcam and slightly stronger speakers. Reviewers agree the panel is accurate and bright and disagree about whether that is enough at $1,599: Macworld rated it 3 out of 5 and called it 'a bad deal', Six Colors called the changes 'meager upgrades' and pointed to the half-price Asus ProArt PA27JCV, while CGMagazine scored it 8.5 for one-cable simplicity with a MacBook.
Strengths
- — 5K (5120 x 2880) panel with excellent color accuracy and good brightness uniformity, per Macworld
- — Two Thunderbolt 5 ports - one charges a MacBook at up to 96W, the other daisy-chains more displays, per Macworld and Six Colors
- — New 12MP Center Stage webcam is a big step up; Six Colors says it 'looks much better' in head-to-head comparisons
Watch-outs
- — Same panel as the 2022 model: 60Hz, no HDR, no adaptive refresh, with poor motion clarity per Macworld
- — Thunderbolt is the only input - no HDMI or DisplayPort, and settings are adjusted only through macOS, per Macworld
- — Power cable is permanently attached, per CGMagazine
